So what’s worth a read?

Happened upon a podcast the other day, Science Probably, and there was a physicist on it. Blimey it was entertaining.

So what will make a 40 year old look clever on the train?

Bad Science

So what will make a 40 year old look clever on the train?

Sapiens is a good read

maccruiskeen – Member

Bad Science medicine Not got much to say about science IIRC.

The disappearing spoon is very good – really engaging treatment of the periodic table, all the histories and personalities involved in elemental discovery. If you like this then Primo Levi’s The periodic table is the masterpiece to move on to.

If you want to look like a clever-clogs on the train then Thomas Kuhn’s ‘The Structure of Scientific Revolutions‘ is a landmark work in the philosophy of science. Not the easiest read but could probably be worked up to with a few easier books.

If you are an acutal clever-clogs then Cybernetics by Norbert Weiner or The Nature of the Chemical Bond by Linus Pauling never go out of style.

Bill Bryson – A short history of nearly everything.

+1 for Bill Bryson. An excellent science book, lots of topics covered in enough detail to be really interesting, but not so much detail that any one aspect becomes dull.

“Surely you are joking Mr Feynman”

Understand what a scientist can be. Just brilliant.

As above, loads of good recommendations. Also, Dr Tatiana’s Sex Advice to all Creation.

The Double Helix is a classic, especially the way it shows the confidence of Crick and Watson, and the way that Franklin is given such a subsidiary role.

Primo Levi is a really good call.

I tend to go for particle physics myself. Superstrings, neutrinos, quantum gravity and spinors.
Lee Smolin writes books which make these things accessible to mere mortals. Even if he is regarded as a charlatan by the scientific community.

Primo Levi Periodic Table BBC dramatisation

Chaos; Fermat’s Enigma; The Making of the Atomic Bomb; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Baboon Metaphysics; The Code Book.

Big bang by Simon singh

Genome by Mat Ridley, is a good walk through each chromosome, though, it’s very out of date now, id love him to do an update.
Mutants by Armand Leroi is great too,
+1 for SapienS
Selfish Gene and The Extended Phenotype by Dawkins, too his controversial personality shouldn’t, detract from the fact that he has written one of the most important science books of the 20th century

Just pick a subject and buy a second hand text book.

Uncle tungsten is an interesting read.

For some reason I just can’t like bill bryson all the smugness of Steven fry but none of the charm.